Attachment for auto-raising and lowering awnings and the like



March 15, 1932. J. STA RR 1,849,255

ATTACHMENT FOR AUTO RAISING AND LOWERING AWNINGS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 20, 1931 I3 12 I I J4 g I "3 HI 28 l' 52 I6. Q it T35 51 7 15 :E 7

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INVENTOR Jncoe STARR PIC-1 2 Y as AT-roRNEYQl l W Patented Mar. 15,1932

struction of a device as mentioned above which is of simple, durable construction,

- UNITED STAT S PATENT oF ic JACOB STARR, OF BRONX, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB F ONE-HALF TO JULIUS MARGOLIN,

OF'NEW YORK, 11'. Y.

ATTACHMENT FOB AUTO-BAISHTG AN D LOWERING AWNINGS ANT) THE LIKE Application filed November 20, 1931. Serial No. 576,226.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an attachment for automatically releasing and lowering awnings and the like.

The invention has for an object the condependable in use and eflicient in operation, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In theaccompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a window and awning equipped with the attachment.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view looking in the direction of the line Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a schematic wiring diagram of the device.

The reference numeral 10 indicates a window frame upon which an awning 11 is mounted. This awning is wound on a roller 12- rotatively'supported in a pair of standards 13 attached upon the front of the window frame 10. A swingable frame 14 is'pivotally mounted at its lower ends 15 upon brackets 16 attached upon the window frame 10 and at its upper end is connected with the free end of the awning 11. A means is provided for raising and lowering an awning, and includes an extension portion 17 from the roller 12 extending from the side of the standard 16 and connecting with. a gear reduction unit 18 in connection with an electric motor 19. .A spring stabilizer 20 is arranged upon the shaft portion 17. The stabilizer 20, the gear reduction unit 18, and the motor 19 are shown mounted upon a shelf 21 secured upon a side of the window frame. Details of the stabilizer gear reduction will not be given here since they form no part of the invention.

The electric motor 19 is wired with a reversing switch 22 in an electric circuit 23 which includes a single pole switch 24. The reversing switch 22 controls the direction of rotation of the motor 19. It is equipped with a movable stem 25 adapted to set the switch either in a neutral position or thrown toone side for closing the circuit to rotate the motor in one direction or to the other side for causing rotation of the motor in the other direction. A pair of arms 26, 27 straddle the stem 25 and are fixed radially on the pivot of the frame 14. These elements are substantially at right angles to each other so that the frame may pivot through 90 to cause one or the other arms to engage against the stem 25. The mounting of the arms upon the stem is accomplished by an extension ortion 28 from the pivot of one of the brac ets 16 supporting a disc 29. The arms 26 and 27 are pivotally mounted upon this stem extension and are formed with adjacent serrated faces 30 so that they may engage each other at various angular positons. The hub portion of the arm 26 is provided with pins 31 engaging the-side of the disc 29 which is pinned at'32 on the extension 28. A coaxial spring 33 upon the extension 28 acts between one of the hubs of the arms and a lug 34 so as to normally engage the serrations 30 with each other. The window frame 10 is formed with an opening 35 so that'the arms may extend into the frame. A casing 36 mounted on the outside of the frame 10 normally closes this opening.

The arms 26 and 27 are constructed from telescopic sections capable of being locked in various extended positions by set screws 37.

A fork 38 also straddles the stem 25 and is V is composed of one section 41 extending from other.

the ivot 39 to the tip of one of the arms of the ork and another section 42 constituting the second arm of the fork. This latter section is pivotally mounted upon a stud 43 engaged through the first section. Adjacent faces of the sections are formed with serrations 44 so that the pivoted section 42 may assume any angular position relative to the other section. A coaxial spring 45 is mounted upon the rivet 43 and serves to urge the serrations 44 into engagement with each The arms of the fork are composed of telescopic sections capable of being locked in various extended positions by set screws 37. Manual control means is provided for urging the fork 41 one way or the other to move the switch 22 to one or the other of its closed positions: This means comprises a lever 46 pivotally mounted intermediately at 47 One end of this lever is provided with a handle 48 which extends from a panel 49 mounted upon the rear'of the window frame. Stops 5'0 limit pivoting of the lever 46 within certain limits. These limits extend across the pivot 39 of the fork.

An expansion spring 51 is mounted between the inner end of the lever 46 and upon a portion of the fork 41 away from the pivot 39. The arrangement is such that the handle 48 may be moved to cause the lever 46 asindicated by the dot and dash lines 52 in which position it will pass the dead center of the spring-action 51 upon the fork 41 and cause the fork to pivot to its otherposition. In Fig. 4, the switch 22 is shown provided with moveable contacts 53 from which the stem 25 projects. These moveable' contacts arepivotally supported at 54 and are adapted to be pivoted one way or the other to engage terminals 55 and 56 respectively.

The operationof the device may be traced by assuming it in the condition shown in Fig. 2. In this condition the awning is completely raised and the radial arm 26 is resting against the stem 25 so that the switch 22 is in its neutral position. In this position, the fork 41 is slightly moved away from the stop 40 which is nearest it. To cause the awning 11 ing 11 when the switch 24 is closed. The degree. of lowering may be controlled by closing the switch 24 for a certain length of time.

When the awning assumes the completely lowered position the radial arm 27 will have moved'up to strike against the stem 25 and move the switch 22 to: the neutral position.-

In any intermediate position, the direction of raising or lowering of the awning'may be changed by merely throwing the handle 48 to cause the fork 41 to close the switch in the opposite direction. The radial adjustments of the fork 41 and of the arms 26 and 27 may be utilized to control the operation of the awning. They may be adjusted so that the awning travels through a shorter distance than 90 or a greater distance. More than this, the lengths of the fork 41 and the arms 26 and 27 may be adjusted to compensate for window frame of different thicknesses.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree ofparticularity, I realize that in practice various alterations therein may be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise alter-.

ing the arrangement of the correlated parts .the switch in a neutral position or one position or the other position, a pair of arms straddling said stem and fixed radially on the pivot of said frame and selectively engageable with said stem to move the switch to its neutral position upon complete raisin or lowering of said frame respectively, a orkstraddling said stem and pivotally mounted,=and

manually controlled resilient means for urging said fork one vWay or the other to move said switch to one or the other of its closed positions.

2. In an awning having a swingably mounted frame and a roller for receiving the awning covering, means I for raisin and lowering the awning including an e ectric circuit, a motor connected in the circuit and with said roller, a reversing-switch in said circuit and connected with said motor to control the direction of rotation and having a movable stem to set the switch in aneutral position or one position or the other position, a pair of arms straddling said stem and fixed radially on the pivot of said frame and selectively engageable with said stem to move the switch to its neutral position upon complete raising or lowering of said frame res ective- 1y, a fork stradding said stem and plvotally mounted, and manually controlled resilient means for urging said fork one wayor the other to move said switch to one'or the other of its closed positions, means being provided for adjusting the fixed relation of said pair of arms.

3. In an awning having a swingably mounted frame and a roller for receiving the awning covering, means for raising and lowering the awning including an electric circuit, a motor connected in the circuit and with said roller, a reversing switch in said circuit and connected with said motor to control the direction of rotation and having a movable stem to set the switch in a neutral position or one position or the other position, a pair of arms straddling said stem and fixed radially on. the pivot of said frame and selectively engageable with said stem to move the switch to its neutral position upon complete raising or lowering of said frame respectively, a fork straddling said stem and pivotally mounted, and manually controlled resilient means for urging said fork one way or the other to move said switch to one or the other of its closed positions, means being provided for adjusting the fixed relation of the arms forming said fork. v

4-. In an awning having a swingably mounted frame and a roller for receiving the awning covering, means for raising and lowering the awning including an electric circuit, a motor connected in the circuit and with said roller, a reversing switch in said 'circuit and connected with said motor to control the direction of rotation and having a movable stem to set the switch in aneutral position or one position or the other position, a pair of arms straddling said stem and fixed radially on the pivot of said frame and selectively engageable with said stem to move the switch to its neutral position upon complete raising or lowering of said frame respec-- tively, a fork straddling said stem and pivv otally mounted, and manually controlled resilient means for urging said fork one way or the other to move said switch to one or the other of its closed positions, said pair of arms and said fork being adjustable in length.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JACOB STARR. 

